Pioneer to sell Blu-ray recorders in Japan

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TOKYO - Pioneer Corp. will start selling Blu-ray disc recorders inJapan sometime before March 2009, the company said Tuesday, thelatest in a string of Japanese electronics makers entering theincreasingly competitive sector.
Pioneer spokeswoman Kayoko Tanaka said the decision to enter thedomestic Blu-ray market anticipated burgeoning Japanese demand forproducts in the next-generation video format. No decision has beenmade on overseas sales plans, she said.
Pioneer will develop Blu-ray DVD recorders with partner Sharp andsell them under the Pioneer brand targeting high-end consumers,Japan's top business daily The Nikkei reported earlier Tuesday.Tanaka declined comment on the details of the report.
Sony Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makesPanasonic brand products, and Sharp Corp. dominate Japan's Blu-raysector, controlling a combined 98 percent market share, accordingto The Nikkei.
Last year, Pioneer announced a tie-up with Sharp under whichPioneer will buy Sharp's liquid crystal displays for flat TVs.Pioneer and Sharp have also been working together on Blu-ray discrecorders and players.
Pioneer decided in March to stop making plasma display panels in aneffort to turn around its money-losing business. Pioneer used to beone of the leading developers of panel technology but has fallenbehind bigger companies such as Matsushita and South Korea'sSamsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc.